The invention relates generally to an adaptable coin mechanism for use, for example, in gaming and vending machines.
Existing vending machines typically include one or more slots through which a customer can insert coins or bills to initiate a vend operation for the purpose of purchasing a product from the machine. Such machines also include coin mechanisms and bill acceptors for identifying inserted coins and bills, and for providing change to the customer. Typically, a central controller controls the overall performance of the machine, such as keeping track of the total credit available to the customer, actuating motors or other mechanisms to dispense a product selected by the customer, and providing signals to the coin mechanism indicating the amount of change, if any, that is to be dispensed.
The central controller of the vending machine is typically programmed to recognize and generate signals corresponding to a predetermined set of coin denominations, such as U.S. nickels, dimes and quarters. However, an operator or owner of the vending machine may desire a vending machine with greater flexibility to allow, for example, the vending machine to provide change using a different combination or set of coin denominations. For example, with the introduction of U.S. one-dollar coins, vending machine operators and owners may wish to dispense a single one-dollar coin as change rather than an equivalent amount in multiple lower denomination coins. In general, vending machine operators and owners may wish to accept currency and dispense change using sets of coin denominations that are different from the set of coin denominations which the central controller is programmed to handle.